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Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus Toe Claw 260mm

SKU:TFS0130

£3,202.00

Availability:In stock

Details:

Spinosaurus aegyptiacus toe claw with a very long phalange discovered in the fossil bed in the red beds formation in association, this means found together in the same dig site or excavation. This points to being part of the same foot of a large adult Spinosaurus aegypticus dinosaur. The condition is stable, there has been preparation. The phalanx particularly has sediment attached, this is usually indicative of Moroccan preparation and restoration of dinosaur bones. The red sands have been mixed with proprietary fixatives to bond the bone. When being lifted from the fossil bed often 90% of bones discovered are fragile, if a fixative is not used at the point of extraction the bone can be lost, broken up when being lifted out of the sediments in which it was fossilised in. For more information on the Spinosaurus please continue...

Details

Spinosaurus aegyptiacus toe claw 260mm and associated long phalange which was discovered together at the fossil bed site in Tegana formation, province 'De Ksar-es-Souk', Kem Kem deposits, Morocco, North Africa. A remarkable rare opportunity to purchase a Spinosaurus foot claw and bone. Specimen feet bones of the most ferocious bipedal theropod dinosaur on the prehistoric North African continent of the Cretaceous period. The specimen condition is one of as found, with moroccan fossil bedding site field preparation. The very long phalange and toe claw were excavated from the same fossil bed near to one another and may be associated, from the same adult dinosaur. The position of the phalange to the toe claw may not be accurately portrayed in the illustration, however are both of a Spinosaur foot anatomy. The phalanx is very large and typical of an aquatic lifestyle. Spinosaurus is thought to have been the terror of the cretaceous waterways of North African, preying on sharks and large fish. As spinosaurus was up to 50 to 59 feet it could have possibly tackled other smaller or juvenile reptilians. It is believed its spine sail would have warned off other Spinosaurs when swimming in the lagoons or shallow seas. The lower limb bones of Spinosaurus were solid, not hollow with marrow cavities like other large predator land dinosaurs which needed less weight and more agility, Spinosaurus needed to be stable and buoyant, so developed a lighter weight skeletal frame in its upper body and denser bones in the lower body, this would aid it in strong currents and in the act of chasing its prey, its body streamlining through the water. While on the land it is thought to have used its smaller front limbs to lean on for balance. Our perception of this great beast has changed drastically over the last decade due to work carried out by palaeontologists like Paul Callistus Sereno, museum of Chicago, whom has carried out expeditions in Morocco since 1996 discovering the dinosaurs and studying their habits from prehistory in that region.

Collected in the continental red fossil formation (Continental intercalaire), at Tegana formation, the province of de Kasr-es-Souk, Kem Kem, (the fossil beds are situated in the Moroccan western desert), this area is the northern Sahara, Morocco, North Africa. The Hamada (raised plateau), is a distinct topographical feature of this region. Now the localised situation has changed, the fossil beds have become overworked, re-worked and the fear is they will become extinguished, coupled with political and military unrest in the region making collecting extremely fraught. Less material of a high standard of preservation is being discovered. The Military of both states are active in the region and areas of once accessible Sahara are now impassable along with the once productive fossil beds. Older tailings are being re-excavated in the hope better material will be found. These processes is making the best of fossil more desirable and more valuable.